Hello all! I just found this forum through an off-topic thread in a different forum that I'm a member of, and so far, it's been fantastic! What a great source of support and information. I've been flirting with the idea of starting PB for a while now, but finally got down to business yesterday. So far, so good...though I suspect carb flu will be hitting soon. I am a HORRIBLE carb junkie.

Anyway - the basics. I am 5'7", just turned 33, and am in general good health, though I could definitely stand to lose some fat and gain some muscle! I've done low-carb in the past, so PB isn't a completely foreign idea to me, though I do like the way it emphasizes healthy, non-processed foods, and includes a lot of veggies. The big thing for me will be kicking the sugar and flour habit - I love to bake, and I also love to eat, so I expect some challenges ahead. But getting healthy will be worth it!

Six years ago, I was pushing 200lbs - the heaviest I have EVER been. I began having problems with acid reflux, sleep apnea, joint pain, and insomnia, just to name a few; three years ago, I finally decided to do something about it. Through daily walking and a low-carb, high-protein diet, I lost 40lbs. I immediately went out and celebrated by eating carbs again and putting 15lbs of that back on. *sigh* This time, I'm gonna stick with it!! *shakes fist* I would like to get back down to 130 or so, though of course I am more concerned with inches than with actual "weight" loss. Bring on the muscle, baby! I can't wait for this nasty weather to clear up so I can start walking again - I live in the middle of nowhere, so going to the gym is not really feasible. I need the kids to hurry up and grow up and move out, so I can put in a treadmill and weight room...LOL

We've had quite a bit of rain lately, too. Congratulations on kicking the nightly rum and coke - I'm a glass (or 2) of wine in the evenings person. I know I need to cut back, but I enjoy it so much. You too are doing great with your weight loss - at our age it just takes time and determination to reach goal! I've always been big chested started as a D and now much bigger - would love to be a nice C, if they don't go down with weight loss I might consider a reduction due to shoulder and back pain (I swear I'm hauling around an extra 10-15 lbs in the girls!). DH is a dream since he loves me no matter what size I am and I appreciate it, but sometimes he encourages bad eating habits and that's not helpful. I hope your numbers are improved. I've located a female doctor here who believes in PB, so plan on making an appointment this summer between semesters.

At first I thought this way of eating was making mine get bigger. But lately they look really quite deflated. Saggy even. I suppose new bras might help. I'm just not into the idea of buying new clothes until I'm sure everything is settled.

We've had quite a bit of rain lately, too. Congratulations on kicking the nightly rum and coke - I'm a glass (or 2) of wine in the evenings person. I know I need to cut back, but I enjoy it so much. You too are doing great with your weight loss - at our age it just takes time and determination to reach goal! I've always been big chested started as a D and now much bigger - would love to be a nice C, if they don't go down with weight loss I might consider a reduction due to shoulder and back pain (I swear I'm hauling around an extra 10-15 lbs in the girls!). DH is a dream since he loves me no matter what size I am and I appreciate it, but sometimes he encourages bad eating habits and that's not helpful. I hope your numbers are improved. I've located a female doctor here who believes in PB, so plan on making an appointment this summer between semesters.

[FONT=Comic Sans MS]oh goodness........ MORE common ground! DH is also a dream (story to follow). I was a happy 140 when we started dating - gained 15 before the wedding (second marriage for us both, again, story to follow). I have never been a big eater, but always struggled to keep the pounds off. He is a very "stout" man - has struggled with being "portely" - but never huge. But OH he does LOVE to eat! And has never cared too much about eating healthy. We love to cook together! Combine fibromyalgia with a husband who doesn't mind if his wife is "chunky" and you get a 5'3" inch 200 pound girl! He loves me no matter what! When I grabs the fat around my belly and I cringe - he just says, "Honey, its you, and I love ALL of you!". Men that like are a rare breed! And I count myself truly blessed!

Okay - story..... Hubby and I have known each other since grade school. Friends, through high school - got to be great friends, then pretty much best friends when we both attended the same University and our dorms were only a block apart. We were inseparable. Planned our classes together, were together from breakfast until bedtime. By May of our first year in college - dare I give the year??? 1979!!!! We were officially an item! I had already fallen in love with him, and he with me. We dated for a while, more than a year - but then he got ants in his pants - and decided he needed to date other girls, since I was his first "real" girlfriend. So, I gave him some room to see what else was out there..... We were best friends, soulmates, and I had confidence that he would come back when he smarted up a bit. But......... another girl caught his eye. Long story short - he picked the wrong girl. We both married others, had children - and completely lost touch. 20 years later, my marriage is ending in divorce, and I get a call .............. she left him. He wanted me to hear it from him instead of through the rumor mill so I would have the facts straight. I was living in another state.......... but we started seeing each other. Secretly for a while cuz it was so close to both our marriages ending we didn't want people "talking". Our first "date" was like waking up after a bad nightmare! 20 years melted away and we found such peace and comfort in each others company. After about 18 months, I moved backed to my home state - we were married 4 months later. Fast forward 10 years - and here we are! As happy as the day we got married - and still best friends and soul mates. What a gift to get a second chance!

Ladies - I have to tell you, I think my new strategy is paying off. I'm down another pound! Thats 6 pounds since the 26th of October. 6 pounds in 9 days!

No rum, no bacon and eggs, and keeping the balance of 80-80-80 - grams of fats, carbs and proteins. Not always hitting those numbers right on - but I'm staying pretty close most days. Let me know if your trying it! I haven't been moving much since the weather is so yucky! Supposed to be beautiful this weekend and we plan on putting a lot of miles on the bikes! We're also starting a new yard project - building a pergola over a section of our patio - so, will be some digging and lifting of heavy things involved! YEAH! The posts are actually full logs stripped of their bark - so not exactly lightweight! Last summer I didn't feel good enough to even think about digging or lifting! Thanks to this lifestyle - I'm actually dying to get started! I even bought a new shovel all for me! BRING IT ON!

[FONT=Comic Sans MS]oh goodness........ MORE common ground! DH is also a dream (story to follow). I was a happy 140 when we started dating - gained 15 before the wedding (second marriage for us both, again, story to follow). I have never been a big eater, but always struggled to keep the pounds off. He is a very "stout" man - has struggled with being "portely" - but never huge. But OH he does LOVE to eat! And has never cared too much about eating healthy. We love to cook together! Combine fibromyalgia with a husband who doesn't mind if his wife is "chunky" and you get a 5'3" inch 200 pound girl! He loves me no matter what! When I grabs the fat around my belly and I cringe - he just says, "Honey, its you, and I love ALL of you!". Men that like are a rare breed! And I count myself truly blessed!

Okay - story..... Hubby and I have known each other since grade school. Friends, through high school - got to be great friends, then pretty much best friends when we both attended the same University and our dorms were only a block apart. We were inseparable. Planned our classes together, were together from breakfast until bedtime. By May of our first year in college - dare I give the year??? 1979!!!! We were officially an item! I had already fallen in love with him, and he with me. We dated for a while, more than a year - but then he got ants in his pants - and decided he needed to date other girls, since I was his first "real" girlfriend. So, I gave him some room to see what else was out there..... We were best friends, soulmates, and I had confidence that he would come back when he smarted up a bit. But......... another girl caught his eye. Long story short - he picked the wrong girl. We both married others, had children - and completely lost touch. 20 years later, my marriage is ending in divorce, and I get a call .............. she left him. He wanted me to hear it from him instead of through the rumor mill so I would have the facts straight. I was living in another state.......... but we started seeing each other. Secretly for a while cuz it was so close to both our marriages ending we didn't want people "talking". Our first "date" was like waking up after a bad nightmare! 20 years melted away and we found such peace and comfort in each others company. After about 18 months, I moved backed to my home state - we were married 4 months later. Fast forward 10 years - and here we are! As happy as the day we got married - and still best friends and soul mates. What a gift to get a second chance!

thats my love story..........

Funny, I met my husband the first semester of college. I lived in the dorms and he worked for the university police department. He was patrolling the lobby and that was that. I was his first and only girlfriend! 3 years of dating and a year of being engaged (my parents said they would stop helping with my college expenses if we didn't wait) and we got married Thanksgiving weekend of 1983. Fast forward over 25 years (28 married/32 together), 4 sons, a new daughter-in-law, his retirement after 28 years with the city PD, a move for his second job, and 13+ years of school for me and we are still as happy as when we met.

Congratulations on your continued weight loss! Way to go girl....."insert cheers and applause"

@Meegads - I like observing cases like yours. I'm wondering how much more effective slow and enjoyable exercise is for me at this point, versus high intensity stuff. I've been doing high intensity weight lifting and sprinting the last three months and gotten stronger, but haven't lost any fat. I know some people say, oh it's muscle weight. No. That's changed my composition a little bit, but hasn't really made me any smaller. According to ppl who treat those with adrenal and thyroid problems, exercise has to be completely enjoyable in order to help weight loss.

Anyone else anxious to read the latest greatest success story on Friday - and feel so good for that person - and then think - sheesh - I'm doing everything right and I'm not seeing those kinds of results!

Maybe I'm not doing everything right. If I look back over my logs for the past month I see some things that probably shouldn't have crossed my lips - like the bacon and eggs I WAS eating for breakfast everyday (I stopped that about a week ago) - or the homemade peanut butter cookies I ate while I was on vacation the 3rd week of March. Or, what about that bowl of ice cream (it was ALL natural). And there have been a few drinks here and there.

Maybe the girl into today's success story had such great results because she is breast feeding? Maybe she just stayed on course and didn't make any bad choices. Whatever....... I find myself wrestling with total awe and complete jealousy! But, it is a great wake-up call. If I want to be one of the latest greatest success stories - I need to stay the course........ not play dodge ball with it! I think if I look back on the 6 months I've been doing this I'd say my course looks more like a drunken sailor walking the sobriety line - when what I'd like it to look like is a olympic spinter running the 100 meter dash!

I know its not all about weight loss - its about getting healthy. And that I am - I have seen great changes in my energy, stamina and drive! But, I also need to lose weight - I started at 206, I am currently at 187. My goal is 135ish. I keep telling myself, if it comes off slow, it will stay off more easily than if I lose it really fast. I get it, I understand the biology or physiology or it all...... But I'm impatient! DANG IT! Which brings me back to ............... choices! If I'm really that impatient - I should be making better choices. I think it all comes down to Short Term Rewards, vs Long Term Rewards. Its easier to give in to the short term rewards - when the long term rewards look so dang far away!

well........... kuddos to the girl featured in todays success story.......... I'll pick myself up and keep moving forward! As long as the scale keeps moving to smaller numbers I know I'm going in the right direction.